2022-02-10 08:27:45 | pauls writes:

Car now offered at:

https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1959-jaguar-xk150-auto-gOQkL4#&gid=1&...

Auction description:

1959 Jaguar XK150

Colour Red

Odometer 83,288 Miles

Engine size 3442

Location London

Country United Kingdom

Matching numbers example

Full bare-metal repaint in 2020

Recent mechanical overhaul

Circa £20k spent in the last few years

Large history file

Previous show winning car

As you’d hope for a bon viveur automobile such as this, it really has lived a life. We can see from the history file that it’s always been treated to the right mechanical and cosmetic attention with all sorts of revered specialists looped in, and there’s evidence of it being displayed at shows and winning trophies.

It also had a full restoration (of which there’s photographic evidence) which we’d estimate was undertaken in the 1990s, and in 2020 was again treated to a full bare-metal repaint. It’s believed to be a matching-numbers car; the numbers stamped on the engine certainly tally with those on the V5. What’s more – and perhaps what’s most interesting of all – is that this 3.4-litre model was originally specced as an automatic, which is a rare thing indeed.

The Paperwork

There’s a huge history file here, taking us right back through the car’s ownership over the decades. There are catalogues and price lists from many, many years ago, along with evidence of the car appearing at various shows, wearing a cherished registration of LJX 8. We find photographic evidence of the car’s previous restoration, which looks to have been a bare metal resto, retrim and drivetrain rebuild.

The file includes all sorts of receipts and invoices for work carried out and parts purchased over the years, right up to the present day. In addition to reams of recent hand-written notes detailing a comprehensive mechanical overhaul, we can also see that the car was treated to a full stripdown and repaint in 2020 at a cost of £8,000.

The Interior

The cabin is exceptionally tidy, with the seats retrimmed in tasteful two-tone and presenting in excellent condition. They tilt correctly to allow access to the 2+2 rear seats, which are also in very good order. The headlining and carpets are clean and complete throughout, and the dash-top and doorcards have also been retrimmed. 

The car is fitted with a period-correct Mota-Lita steering wheel, along with new seatbelts, and all of the gauges are working correctly. An interesting detail of the automatic models is the positioning of the gear selector at the base of the dash.

It's all right and proper inside the boot too: a new carpet covers the load bay, and the lift-up false floor latches correctly to the bootlid, revealing a spare wire wheel, jack and tools.

The Exterior

The vivid red suits the bold body lines perfectly, and the quality of the paintwork is very good indeed – we find no marks or blemishes, the fresh paint presents extremely well. The light lenses and window glass are all good (and new rubber seals were recently fitted), and all of the chrome trim is present and correct – some of which has recently been replaced, including the door handles and headlamp trims.

The knock-off wire wheels are in fabulous order and wear quality tyres with decent tread, and it’s pleasing to note that the hinged vents in the front wings open and close properly using their interior handles.

Underneath, as the photos demonstrate, the car looks to be very solid with no evidence of corrosion or damage. The overall impression is one of class and style; it’s certainly a car that attracted a lot of attention during our photoshoot.

The Mechanics

The XK150 offers a robust and engaging mechanical package, serving up entertaining performance along with a supremely smooth ride. We can see from the history file that this car has recently been treated to a full mechanical overhaul, including new gearbox oil and diff oil, new battery, gearbox mountings, plugs and leads, coil, electronic distributor, alternator, cam cover gaskets, rev counter sender wire, thermostat, heater control valve, water hoses, steel water pipes, fanbelt, oil and filter, and engine mounts, as well as rebuilding the radiator, cleaning out the fuel tank and rebuilding the carburettors.

All of the rubber boots and bushes have been renewed, and the braking system fully overhauled with upgraded front callipers fitted. As such, it’s as tight as a drum and fabulous to drive – as our road test demonstrated, this is an impressive machine and one which is sure to give its next owner many, many miles of Cheshire cat smiles.